Goodbye To You
by Katie Bell7
Summary: It is said that all good things must come to an end. So Harry tells himself as his years at Hogwarts come to a close. But his heart is attached to things that cannot pass away. Harry is growing up quicker than he has had to all the years before.Join Harry


iOf all the things I've believed in I just want to get it over with Tears form behind my eyes But I do not cry Counting the days that pass me by  
  
I've been searching deep down in my soul Words that I'm hearing are starting to get old It feels like I'm starting all over again The last three years were just pretend And I said,  
  
Goodbye to you Goodbye to everything I thought I knew You were the one I loved The one thing that I tried to hold on to  
  
I still get lost in your eyes And it seems that I can't live a day without you Closing my eyes and you chase my thoughts away To a place where I am blinded by the light But it's not right  
  
Goodbye to you Goodbye to everything I thought I knew You were the one I loved The one thing that I tried to hold on to  
  
And it hurts to want everything and nothing at the same time I want what's yours and I want what's mine I want you But I'm not giving in this time  
  
Goodbye to you Goodbye to everything I thought I knew You were the one I loved The one thing that I tried to hold on to The one thing that I tried to hold on to And when the stars fall  
  
I will lie awake You're my shooting star  
  
(Michelle Branch) ©2000 I'm With The Band Music Publishing Company (ASCAP)/i  
  
I.  
  
It was a quiet enough day at Hogwarts. Summer had finally begun to show on the grounds, and Harry no longer needed a good Hand-Warming spell from Hermione before every Quidditch practice. Even in his seventh year at Hogwarts, Harry had never fully mastered the skill of remembering the hundreds of everyday spells that Hermione seemed to have stored in a Gringotts vault at the back of her mind.  
  
Harry awoke on such a day to find Ron's bed deserted. He propped himself up and yawned, his tousled hair sticking up in every direction possible. He patted it down a bit and put on his glasses before stumbling over to his chest at the foot of his bed and pulling out robes that were as wrinkled as his bed sheets. As much as he had been trying to force down the nerves in his stomach, he felt them fluttering, and in a huge bout of nausea, he ran over to his window and was sick over the sill. When he was dressed, he stuck his wand in his pocket and wandered out of the Gryffindor boys' room in search of Ron. He found him slouched in a chair in the Common Room, fumbling absent-mindedly with Pig. Ron looked up at his best friend as Harry padded down the main staircase.  
  
"Oi, Harry! Good mornin'," he called.  
  
"Ron. Why're you up so early? Usually you're sleeping on off days." The Hogwarts seventh years were given many off-days now that the preliminary exams were wrapping up.  
  
Ron shrugged. "Dunno. Thought you'd need a bit of encouragement on your big day!" he smiled at his feeble answer.  
  
"C'mon, now, Ron. What's REALLY up?"  
  
Ron shrugged again. "Aw, who knows, Har. It's just the regular end-of-term blues. Tests and all." He grinned.  
  
Harry thought a minute about Ron's words, and then said, in a much quieter tone, "Only this time it's ending for good."  
  
"Yeah." said Ron uncomfortably, but then he overcame his usual stoic manner and whispered heatedly, "I'm gonna miss it."  
  
Harry was surprised at the feeling in Ron's words, but he didn't say anything. They sat there for a while more, taking in the memory of the Common Room. There was only a month left of their life at Hogwarts, and they were feeling very strangely about it. When they took their leave from the school where they had lived for the most important years of their lives, they would also leave behind the memories of all the students who had lived there and left. Neville, Seamus, Parvati Patil, Goyle, Fred, Pansy Parkinson, Katie Bell, and various other younger students had all left Hogwarts throughout the past 3 years, none of them to ever return to Hogwarts, or any other place. Voldemort had struck Harry in the heart, just like he had warned. But Harry and Ron were learning how to go on, taking it one day at a time. At least they still had each other, and Hermione.  
  
At that moment the Hermione came down from the girls' rooms in a terrycloth bathrobe, carrying Crookshanks and a wooden bowl.  
  
She started in surprise when she saw the boys. "Harry! Ron! What are you doing down here? It's not even five in the morning yet!"  
  
Harry smiled at her. "Nothing, Herm. Just sitting here. Having a Kodac mome- "  
  
"Harry was nervous 'bout the big game." Ron broke in self-consciously, shoving Pig off his lap and into the air. He fluttered around sleepily before aiming for the window that looked toward the owlery.  
  
"Ah," Hermione said knowingly, setting down the bowl, which Harry could now see was full of milk, in front of her ginger cat. "Yeah. Final match against Slytherin, hm?"  
  
Ron looked exasperated. "NO, Hermione," he said sarcastically, "it's against Hufflepuff," He shook his head dramatically "HONestly, you'd think she doesn't go to your games at ALL."  
  
Harry just grinned. He thought he knew what was up with Ron. But he knew Ron better get a move on it before the school year ended, and Hermione went off to Japan to take extended classes and, in her words, "decide what I want to do with my life. You two should, as well."  
  
Hermione gave a look at Harry as if to say, "At least he's feeling better!" and she, too, sat down in a dark red chair. Crookshanks, his meal forgotten, ran over to the three and sprang onto Harry's lap. Harry pulled his fingers through Crookshanks' fur, staring absently at the fire that crackled in the early morning cold.  
  
He wondered what was up with Ron. If Harry had ever had feelings for Hermione, at least he would have had the good sense to let her know sometime before they left for good. IF he had ever had feelings for Hermione.. That was nonsense, of course. Hermione was his friend, his good one, at that. All the same, it was a good thing he had gotten over his Cho problems long ago...  
  
Harry's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of students down the staircase as the morning drew on. He looked at Ron, and saw that he had fallen asleep. He couldn't tell if Hermione was or not, though. He gently touched her hand and was surprised to see her spring up from her slouched position and look at him, flushed. "Er-- Hermione? Are you ok?"  
  
"Yeah," she said quickly, embarrassed, "yeah, sorry, Harry.er. just startled me a little." She looked at her watch and said loudly, "Oh, wow, Harry, it's seven fifteen already! You'd better go eat! And I've got to get dressed!" she hurried off up the girls' staircase, and Harry watched her, curiously. He roused Ron, though, and dragged him down to breakfast. 


End file.
